Thursday, 10 December 2009

I couldn't resist this, but in the spirit that perhaps of our lifetimes this really is the most important conference, perhaps I can get away with the comparison.

Will our world leaders step up to the plate? Or will they leave the conference with some good soundbites, and a hasty fudge to make it look to everyone that a life-saving deal has been done which will avert the impending disaster?

It's interesting to note that, contrary to the recollection of many, Chamberlain was hailed as a hero when he returned from Munich in September 1938, having betrayed both the unfortunate Czechs and, ultimately, his country. Everyone thought that he had delivered the country from war, whereas in fact he had brought it another inexorable step closer. Funny how differently history can view these things looking back.

Wednesday, 9 December 2009

Ok, so maybe it's not necessarily cool to have a link to the prime minister in your blog, but he's one of the few world leaders who've got the importance of the next two weeks - read him in the Guardian here.

Saturday, 5 December 2009

As the negotiating teams arrive in Copenhagen, thought it appropriate to link into an article I've just contributed to the excellent Politics For People, the Co-op Party's "unofficial" blog, about co-operative solutions to climate change. Check it out here.

Tuesday, 1 December 2009

Less than a week to go to Copenhagen: to what might, when we look back in twenty or thirty years, turn out to have been the most important inflection point of our lifetimes between two possible futures: that of truly putting us on the road to resolving climate change, or not. In the UK, it is also quite likely to be the last important action of the Labour administration which started in 1997, and the country therefore has a short window of opportunity in which to act (frankly, it's incredibly unlikely, despite Cameron's protestations to the contrary, that a Tory administration would act in this area aggressively).

Our political systems, however, so adept in acting in the event of immediate threats such as military attack, seem hopelessly inadequate to act in the event of a slow-moving crisis. In the event of failure, even such measured and sensible people as Al Gore are advocating that "civil disobedience has its role to play" and, despite myself, he may just have a point.

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About the blogger

Activist, free thinker, Labour Party management team through 2001 and 2005 general elections, responsible for Labour's early web presence and creator of its first-ever national electoral register. Happily married to Mireia and dad to two lovely little girls. Now work as project/programme/interim manager for an evil multinational, with a sideline in political commentary.

Politically think of myself as a loyalist (rather than a parrot). Member of Progress and the Co-op. My posts are vetted only by my, er, own sense of discretion and propriety. I've worked in business for many years, so have no truck with anti-business prejudice. Like social/ethical business, co-operatives and sustainability. Fought one general election and longlisted by NEC panel to be Labour candidate in 2010.